The benefits under 35 U.S.C. xe2x80x2 119 are claimed with respect to New Zealand PVR Application No. KIW017, filed on Feb. 11, 2000 in New Zealand.
Actinidia arguta. 
xe2x80x98Hortgem Tahixe2x80x99.
Kiwi plants in cultivation are mainly varieties of A. deliciosa, particularly xe2x80x98Haywardxe2x80x99 (non-patented) although some A. chinensis and A. arguta varieties are grown. A. deliciosa and A. chinensis are closely related, whereas A. arguta is classified in a separate section of the genus. A. deliciosa and A. chinensis varieties have large fruit (xcx9c100 g) with hair on the skin. The main varieties in New Zealand are xe2x80x98Haywardxe2x80x99 (A. deliciosa) and xe2x80x98Hort16Axe2x80x99 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066) (A. chinensis). Fruit are usually cut and eaten with a spoon. A. arguta has small fruit (xcx9c10 g) with no hair on the skin. The skin is edible so these fruit can be eaten whole, like a grape.
All Actinidia species are dioecious, so female varieties have to be inter-planted with male pollenizers to ensure fruit production.
A. arguta vines are deciduous and tend to grow vigorously in spring and summer when rapidly-growing shoots can intertwine and tangle if not managed. Vines do best in a mild temperate climate without late spring or early autumn frosts. They produce consistent heavy crops when grown in well-drained fertile soils and given regular irrigation in dry spells.
A. arguta flowers in spring (late October-early December) in New Zealand. Harvest of A. arguta fruit may occur between early February and late March in New Zealand depending on the selection and location of plantings. Compared to A. deliciosa and A. chinensis, A. arguta fruit require more careful handling during harvest and post-harvest procedures.
The present invention is a new and distinctive kiwi plant having a small, generally spheroid shaped fruit with green hairless edible skin. This new variety is designated xe2x80x98HORTGEM TAHIxe2x80x99 and is derived from a controlled pollination of AA02-01 (non-patented), a female A. arguta selection of unknown parentage, with AA13-01 (non-patented), a male A. arguta selection of unknown parentage.
The female parent was introduced as a plant from England to New Zealand in 1955. The male parent was introduced as scionwood from Scotland to New Zealand in 1982. The provenance of both is unknown.
This new variety was created during the course of a plant breeding program, which was initiated during 1987 at HortResearch in Auckland, New Zealand. The cross was made in November 1987. Seeds were sown in autumn (March) 1988 and 129 seedlings from this cross were planted out in the field at Kumeu Research Orchard in spring (October) 1988. The seedlings first fruited in approximately February to March 1991. 20 promising female seedlings were clonally propagated into a two-site replicated trial in 1995 and xe2x80x98HORTGEM TAHIxe2x80x99 (breeding code K2D4) was selected after storage and sensory evaluation in 1998.
The new variety can be asexually reproduced as cuttings or by grafting or budding on to seedling or cutting-grown rootstocks of A. arguta. Trial plantings as cuttings established in 1995 at Te Puke and Nelson Research Centres and on seedling rootstocks established in 1998 at these sites have shown that the unique combination of characters come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding asexual propagation.
xe2x80x98HORTGEM TAHIxe2x80x99 is a different species to both the unpatented xe2x80x98Haywardxe2x80x99 variety and the patented xe2x80x98Hort16Axe2x80x99 variety, so their pollenizers cannot be used. Three new A. arguta male pollenizers known currently by their breeding codes as B4G4 (non-patented), E4H4 (non-patented) and K1J6 (non-patented), have been selected as males for use in new plantings of xe2x80x98HORTGEM TAHIxe2x80x99.